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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26951935">What if... Obi-Wan Kenobi had died and Qui-Gon Jinn had lived?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsleepattheWeil/pseuds/AsleepattheWeil'>AsleepattheWeil</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Star Wars/What If...?: A World Without Obi-Wan [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Divergence - Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Gen, Qui-Gon Jinn Lives</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:22:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,671</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26951935</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsleepattheWeil/pseuds/AsleepattheWeil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Re-imagining the world of Star Wars if Obi-Wan Kenobi had died at the end of Episode I, and Qui-Gon Jinn had lived, this opening tale re-works Chapters 22-24 of the Phantom Menace novelization, by Terry Brooks, to tell that story.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Star Wars/What If...?: A World Without Obi-Wan [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1966771</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What if... Obi-Wan Kenobi had died and Qui-Gon Jinn had lived?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Qui-Gon Jinn was one of the most able swordsmen in the Jedi order. The Jedi Master he had trained under had considered him one of the best the Master had taught in his more than four hundred years in the order. Qui-Gon had fought in conflicts all across the galaxy in the span of his life and against odds so great that many others would not have stood a chance. He had survived battles that had tested his skill and resolve in every conceivable way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But on this day, he had met his match. The Sith Lord he battled with Obi-Wan was more than his equal in weapons training, and he had the advantage of being younger and stronger. Qui-Gon was nearing sixty; his youth was behind him and his strength was beginning to diminish. His edge now, to the extent that he had one, came from his long experience and intuitive grasp of how an adversary might employ a lightsaber against him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Obi-Wan brought youth and stamina to the combat, but he had fought in only a few contests and was not battle hardened. Together, they were able to hold their own against the Sith Lord, but their efforts at attack, at assuming the offensive against this dangerous adversary, were woefully inadequate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Darth Maul was a warrior in his prime, never to be any better, his powers at their apex. In addition, he was driven by his messianic hatred for and disdain of the Jedi Knights, the enemies of the Sith for millennia. He had worked and trained all his life for this moment, for a chance to meet a Jedi Knight in combat. It was an added bonus that he was able to engage two. He had no fear for himself, no doubt that he would win. He was focused in a way that Qui-Gon recognized at once - a Jedi's focus, mindful of the present, locked in on what was needed in the here and now. Qui-Gon saw it in his mad eyes and in the set of his red and black tattooed features. The Sith Lord was a living example of what the Jedi Master was always telling Obi-Wan about how best to hear the will of the Force.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The three combatants fought their way across the hangar floor, lightsabers flashing, bringing to bear every skill they had acquired over the years. The Jedi Knights tried continually to press the attack, and indeed, the Sith Lord was moving away from the Naboo and the starfighters and back toward the hangar's far wall. But Qui-Gon recognized that while it might seem as if the Jedi were driving him before them, it was the Sith Lord who was controlling the struggle. Wheeling and spinning, leaping and somersaulting with astonishing ease, their enemy was taking them with him, drawing them on to a place of his own choosing. His agility and dexterity allowed him to keep them both at bay, constantly attacking while at the same time effectively blunting their counterattacks, relentlessly searching for an opening in their defense.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon pressed hard in the beginning, sensing how dangerous this man was, wanting to put an end to the combat quickly. Long hair flying out behind him, he attacked with ferocity and determination. Obi-Wan came with him, following his lead. They had fought together before, and they knew each other's moves. Qui-Gon had trained Obi-Wan, and while the younger Jedi was not yet his equal, he believed that one day Obi-Wan would be better than he had ever been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So they challenged the Sith Lord quickly, and just as quickly discovered that their best efforts were not good enough to achieve an early resolution. They settled into a pattern then, working as a team against their enemy, waiting for an opening. But the Sith Lord was too smart to give them one, and so the battle had gone on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They fought their way out of the main hangar through an entry that led into a power station. Catwalks and overhangs crisscrossed a pit in which a tandem of generators that served the starship complex was housed. The room was cavernous and filled with the noise of heavy machinery. Ambient light filtered away in clouds of steam and layers of shadows. The Jedi and the Sith Lord battled onto one of the catwalks suspended above the generators, and the metal frame rang with the thudding of their boots and the clash of their lightsabers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alone in the power station, hidden from the rest of Theed and its occupants, they intensified their struggle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Sith Lord leapt from the bridge on which they fought to the one above, his strange face shining with the heat of the battle and his own peculiar joy. The Jedi followed, one coming up in front of him, one behind, so that they had him pinned between them. Down the length of the catwalk they fought, lightsabers flashing, sparks flying from the metal railing of the walk as they smashed against it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Darth Maul caught Obi-Wan off balance and with a powerful kick knocked the Jedi completely over the railing. The padawan managed to hold on, just barely, and found himself watching the battle continue without him, as he waited for the next opportunity to rejoin. Taking advantage of the Sith Lord's assault on Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon forced Darth Maul over the railing as well. Down the Sith Lord tumbled, landing hard on a catwalk several levels below Obi-Wan. This was more than Obi-Wan could have hoped for, the force of the fall or perhaps the unexpectedness of it left the Sith Lord visibly stunned, and Obi-Wan dropped down after him with ease, sensing a chance to put an end to things. But the Sith Lord struggled back to his feet quickly and raced away, taking the battle in a new direction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time Qui-Gon had made it down to their level, Obi-Wan was in pursuit of Darth Maul, following him down the catwalk toward a small door at the far end of the power station. The young Jedi-in-training went swiftly, legs and arms pumping, lightsaber flashing. He should have been exhausted by now, but his young body was primed with adrenaline, and he felt the power of the Force coursing through him in a way he had never experienced before. A champion of the light, in sole pursuit of a champion of the darkness, it was as pure and beautiful in its poetry as the ancient texts made it out to be. He had read the words so many times before, but never before had he understood it like this. The Sith Lord had taken the defensive, and Obi-Wan was not about to give him a chance to regroup.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon called after him, trying to catch up, but the apprentice did not slow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One after the other, the three antagonists passed through the small door into a corridor beyond. They were moving quickly in their frenzied chase and were into the corridor before they realized what it was. Lasers ricocheted off buffer struts, pulsing in long bursts of crisscrossing brilliance that segmented the corridor at five points. The lasers had just begun to kick in when the Sith Lord and the Jedi Knights rushed through the entry. Darth Maul, in the lead, got farthest down the corridor and found himself trapped between walls four and five. Obi-Wan, in close pursuit, was caught only one wall away. Qui-Gon, who was farthest away in the chase, did not get past even the first wall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shocked into immobility by the buzz and flash of the lasers, the antagonists froze where they were, casting about for an escape, finding none. Qui-Gon took a quick measure of their location. They were in the service corridor for the melting pit, the disposal unit of the power station's residue. The service corridor was armed With lasers against unauthorized intrusion. There would be a shutoff switch somewhere at both ends of the passage, but it was too late to look for it now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Jedi Knights stared down the laser-riddled corridor at the Sith Lord, who gave them a wicked grin. Don't worry, they could read in his dark countenance, you won't have long to wait for me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon exchanged a meaningful glance With Obi-Wan, then dropped into a guarded crouch to meditate and wait.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Darth Maul paced back and forth with frenetic energy, like a caged animal. He had regained his focus and was like a trebuchet being pulled tighter and tighter, grinning with the understanding that each additional second he was forced to endure would make the eventual release that much stronger and more ferocious. The Sith Lord was battle trained and seasoned well beyond anyone these Jedi had encountered before. He had matched them blow for blow, and they weren't any closer to winning this fight now than they had been in the beginning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Obi-Wan stared across the translucent barrier, he was vibrating with energy and thought he might explode if he wasn’t able to resume the battle, soon. Then he remembered his training, his faith in the Force, and how it guided him always. If the Force had seen fit to place him between these two barriers, separated from both his Master and their enemy, then this is exactly where he was supposed to be. The realization steadied him, and with that he noticed the fire in the eyes of his enemy for the first time. He would have to be quick. Very quick. He did not want this tattooed madman to have an opportunity to find some new means of advantage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Down the way, pinned between two other walls of laser beams, Qui-Gon Jinn knelt in meditation, his head lowered over his lightsaber. He was gathering himself for a final assault, bringing himself in tune with the Force. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Sith Lord scraped the lower edge of his saber back and forth along the stone floor, allowing the sound and the sparks to act as a meditative chant as he watched his enemies with desperate anticipation, his red and black face intense, his yellow eyes glinting in the half light. He saw Obi-Wan staring and smiled in open derision.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At that instant, the laser beams warding the service corridor went off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Obi-Wan and Maul flung themselves at each other, their sabers meeting mid-air as they each used the Force to propel their bodies together, their screams war cries, giving voice to their hunger as they feverishly attempt to push the other backwards. Qui-Gon sprang to his feet as well, his own weapon flashing. He catapulted forward, silent and dedicated, until he heard the buzz of the capacitors kicking in once more, cycling to reactivate the lasers. He threw himself ahead, still too far from the corridor's end. He cleared all the gates but the last, and the lasers crisscrossed before him in a deadly wall, bringing him to an abrupt stop just short of where he needed to be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lightsaber in hand, his arm free of tension by his side, he stood watching patiently as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul battled mere meters away. A stream of electrons was all that separated him from the combatants, but it might as well have been a wall of permacrete three meters thick. Quickly, he scanned for a triggering device that might shut the system down, but he had no better luck here than he'd had at the other end. He could only watch, until the Force saw fit for him to rejoin his Padawan in this battle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It appeared for a moment that Obi-Wan might not grant him that opportunity, as he pushed the battle forward, attacking with a ferocity that seemed to have the Sith Lord stymied. With quick, hard strokes of his lightsaber, he bored into his adversary, deliberately engaging in close-quarters combat, refusing to let the other bring his double-bladed weapon to bear. He drove Darth Maul backward toward the rim of the overhang, keeping the Sith Lord constantly on the defensive, pressing in on him steadily. He clearly still had room to grow and develop as both a Jedi and a swordsman, but Obi-Wan Kenobi, despite his youth and inexperience, was still a powerful and deadly opponent. Darth Maul's ragged face took on a frenzied look, and the glitter of his strange eyes brightened with uncertainty.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Good, the Jedi Master, thought, urging him on voicelessly, anticipating his apprentice’s sword strokes as if they were his own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Darth Maul turned his attention past Obi-Wan, catching the direct eye of the old man who was momentarily acting as their spectator. Qui-Gon’s jaw dropped as low as the skin on his face would allow, feeling more foolish than he ever had, at any point in his long, distinguished life. The monster was toying with Obi-Wan, and he kept their eyes locked, as over and over he effortlessly blocked each of the powerful attacks from the young aggressor. And then he smiled, and Qui-Gon knew it was over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Sith Lord parried a downstroke, whirled swiftly to the right, and with his back to the once-future Jedi, made a blind, reverse lunge. Obi-Wan never even saw it coming. The blade of the Sith Lord's lightsaber caught him directly in the midsection, its brilliant length burning through clothing and flesh and bone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Obi-Wan thought he heard his Master scream, as he felt the crimson blade pass through his chest, and the sudden drain within his body, as if all of the energy and power which had just a moment before been coursing through him, powering him in his attacks, was being flushed out through some previously unrecognized channels beneath his feet. Obi-Wan made no sound as the blade entered him, stiffening with the impact, then taking a small step back as it was withdrawn. He stood motionless for an instant, fighting against the shock of the killing blow. Then his eyes clouded, his arms lowered, and a great weariness settled over his young features. He dropped to his knees, and his lightsaber clattered to the floor, beside him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was on his back, trying to figure out how all the light was getting in through the ceiling, high above him, when the lasers abruptly went off again, and Qui-Gon Jinn, seething with rage, rushed to avenge him..</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Free at last of the laser wall, the Jedi Master charged out of the service tunnel and into the chamber that housed the melting pit. Abandoning any pretense of observing even the slightest caution, he barreled into Darth Maul with such fury that he almost knocked both of them off the ledge and into the abyss. He struck at the Sith Lord with his lightsaber as if his own safety meant nothing, lost in a red haze of rage and frustration, consumed by his grief for Obi-Wan and his failure to prevent his charge's fall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Sith Lord was borne backward by the Jedi's initial rush, caught off guard by the other's wild assault, and pressed all the way back to the far wall of the melting pit. There he struggled to keep the old Masteri at bay, trying to open enough space between them to defend himself. Lightsabers scraped and grated against each other, and the chamber echoed with their fury. Lunging and twisting, Darth Maul worked to regain the offensive and find the open space he needed to use his weapon in the manner for which it was designed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon could feel the rage consuming him, and as the Sith Lord deftly spun away from a strike, he prepared to use the opportunity to take a deep breath, and find once more that peace inside of him provided by the Force. Then, as his body turned with his opponent, he caught a glimpse of Obi-Wan laying where he had fallen, and whatever peace he thought existed at the center of his being was gone. He stared ahead at his opponent, and saw in the Dathomirian’s youth and agility an opponent he could not hope to beat, not like this. They were both using Ataru, an aggressive form of saber technique, and that more than anything else was neutralizing any advantage one might hope to gain over the other. It was like fighting your reflection in the mirror, and hoping to catch it in a mistake. Qui-Gon had made a point to study with the greatest masters of each form within the order, and none were as daunting or dangerous as Master Windu, the sole master of Vaapad, the most aggressive of all the forms. Most Jedi shied away from the form, as few were able to generate the extreme depth of peace necessary to anchor all of that aggression, but Qui-Gon wasn’t concerned with anchoring himself today, he was willing to give into the rage, surrender to the fury if that’s what it would take to end this monster’s life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the first time in this struggle, Darth Maul looked honestly stunned. He never expected a Jedi to change form in a high stakes battle, and especially not to this one. Jedi are supposed to be predictable creatures, they rely on the force, they rely on their training, when things get difficult they are supposed to go back to the basics, not leap forward into the unknown. What was happening here? The new, unpredictable nature of their combat took them around the edge of the melting pit and into the nooks and alcoves beyond, into shadowed recesses and around smoky pillars and pipe housings. Twice, the Sith Lord went down, losing his footing on the smooth flooring of the melting pit's rim. Once, Qui-Gon hammered at him with such determination that he scorched the Dathomorian’s tunic, shoulder to waist, and it was only by countering with an upthrust counterstrike to the other's midsection and by rolling quickly away and back to his feet that Maul was able to escape.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They fought their way back toward the laser-riddled service passage, past Obi-Wan's still form, and into a tangle of vent tubes and circuit housings. Steam burst from ruptured pipes, and the air was filled with the acrid smell of scorched wiring. Darth Maul began to use his command of the Force to fling heavy objects at Qui-Gon, desperate to throw him off balance, to disable him, to disrupt the flow of his attack. Qui-Gon took little notice as he effortlessly diverted the projectiles, while continuing his forward barrage of strikes and slashes with his lightsaber.. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The battle wore on, and Darth Maul, for the first time in his life, found himself fighting an opponent he could not figure out how to best. He was a predator by nature, a hunter, he studied his prey in advance, and by the time he struck, he knew them better than they knew themselves. He had been studying this man for months, and their first confrontation in the sands of Tattoine had confirmed that the old Jedi was no match for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon knew he should be tired by now, long fights do not suit old warriors, but his body didn’t care. Surprisingly, it was the Sith Lord who began to wear down. Bit by bit, the Jedi Master pressed him back, carrying the attack to him, relentless in his assault, and wildly sporadic in the manner with which he dealt it.. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Darth Maul could sense his body weakening, and his fear of what it would mean if he were to fall, began to grow. Never! he swore furiously. Sensing his opportunity slipping away from him and his strength waning, the Sith Lord mounted a final assault. He rushed forward at the Jedi  with a series of side blows designed to turn the ferocious two-handed strikes against the Jedi, by twisting his arms, and locking his body behind them. But the randomness of the Jedi’s attacks continued, and to Maul’s utter surprise the old Jedi released his Saber, allowing the force to spin the weapon freely, severing his own double bladed saber, and effectively ending the battle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon Jinn grabbed his lightsaber out of the air, and swung down at his opponent once more, it was all the Sith Lord could do to fling himself backwards, scurrying away with his hands as well as his feet, until one hand reached out for a floor that wasn’t there, and found himself at a dead end, at the edge of the pit. The Jedi struck down at him again, and instinctively Maul put his hands up to defend himself, losing them both as the green blade removed them effortlessly. Knowing his time was over, the proud warrior straightened his back, looking his better in the eyes for the final time, and acknowledging the victory the Jedi had earned. Crying out in fury, the Jedi Master swung triumphantly at the Sith Lord's horned head, cutting him in two, split from the top of his skull, straight down through his sternum and pelvis.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Qui-Gon turned, thumbed his saber off, and kicked the cauterized halves of his enemy, watching them  tumble away into the pit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon did not pause to consider what it had cost him to win his victory over Darth Maul, but rushed immediately to Obi-Wan. Kneeling at his apprentice's side, he lifted his head and shoulders and cradled him gently in his arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Master!" he whispered through a difficult breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon stared down at this boy he loved like a son, fighting back the tears. "Rest now, my young Padawan. It is over"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I’m sorry" Obi-Wan cried. “I failed you, Master.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No,” Qui-Gon replied gently, “When the master outlives the apprentice, there is no question as to who is to blame. You were perfect, with every tool that you had been given. It never occured to me that we would find ourselves against such an opponent, who could turn your strengths into weakness. You were so strong, my padawan, and I couldn’t be prouder of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Obi-Wan nodded in acceptance. “Thank you, Master."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes locked on Qui-Gon's and lost focus. His breathing stopped. The strength and the life went out of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Three days later, Qui-Gon Jinn stood in a small room of the Theed temple in which the deaths of heroes were mourned and their lives celebrated. Obi-Wan Kenobi's body lay in state on a bier in the plaza just outside, awaiting cremation. Already the citizenry and officials of the Naboo and the Gungan peoples were gathering to honor the young Jedi.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Much had changed in the lives of those who had fought in the struggle for Naboo sovereignty. With the collapse of the droid army, the Trade Federation's control over Naboo had been broken. All of the ground transports, tanks, STAPs, and weapons and supplies were in the hands of the Republic. Viceroy Nute Gunray, his lieutenant, Rune Haako, and the remainder of the Neimoidian occupation council had been shipped as prisoners to Coruscant to await trial.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Senator Palpatine had been elected as supreme chancellor of the Republic, and he had promised swift action in the dispensing of justice to the captives. Queen Amidala had outfoxed the Neimoidians one final time by pretending to surrender so she could gain safe access to the viceroy before he had time to flee. She had communicated to Sabe to break away from the struggle taking place several floors below and to use the service passages to reach the Queen's chambers and then make her appearance before the viceroy. It was a calculated risk, and Sabe might not have been able to get there in time. Had she not, Amidala would have triggered the secret compartment release and fought for her freedom in any case. She was young, but she was not without courage or daring. She had shown intelligence and insight from the beginning of the time the Jedi had come to assist her. Qui-Gon admired the Queen, and the strength and wisdom she possessed at such a young age, and as he did, his heart hurt anew.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But it was a nine-year-old boy who had saved them all. Even without knowing exactly what he was doing, Anakin Skywalker had flown a starfighter into the teeth of the Federation defense, penetrated their shields, landed in the belly of the Neimoidian flagship, torpedoed the ship's reactor, and set off a chain reaction of explosions that destroyed the control station. It was the destruction of the central transmitter that had caused the droid army to freeze in place, their communications effectively short-circuited. Anakin claimed not to have attacked with any sort of plan in mind or fired his starfighter's torpedoes with any expectation of hitting the reactor. But after hearing the boy's tale, Qui-Gon was more convinced than ever that Anakin was guided by something more than the thinking of ordinary men. That extraordinarily high midichlorian count gave the boy a connection to the Force that even Jedi Masters on the order of Yoda might never achieve. He knew it in every fiber of his being, Anakin Skywalker was the chosen one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sat on the floor, dressed in fresh clothing for the funeral, soft, loose fitting robes, emphasizing the value placed on the reduction of the self in the Jedi dogma. Obi-Wan's lightsaber lay on a table next to his own. There were honored traditions for what a Jedi was to do with their master’s lightsaber on their death, but none when the situation was reversed. Obi-Wan Kenobi was not the first Jedi struck down in youth, nor would he be the last, but the Order refused to create a tradition for something like this, as if to do so was to welcome it to happen again. The Jedi Council had come to Naboo for the funeral and to speak again with Anakin. They were doing so now, close by, making a final assessment based on what had transpired since their last session with the boy. Qui-Gon thought the outcome of their deliberations must be a foregone conclusion. He could not imagine now that it wouldn't be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned his attention back to Obi-Wan Kenobi, his apprentice, his student, his friend. He had failed Obi-Wan in life. But he would continue his work, honoring the young man’s death by making sure his next student was prepared for anything. Anakin Skywalker would become a living nightmare for whatever Sith Lords remained out there in the galaxy, he would make sure of that..</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door opened, and Yoda appeared. He entered the room In a slow shuffle, leaning on his walking stick, his wizened face sleepy-eyed and contemplative.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Master Yoda," Qui-Gon greeted, choosing to remain seated, as opposed to rising and bowing in tradition, as one typically does when a senior member enters the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Jedi Master nodded. "Decided about the boy, the Council is, Qui-Gon," he advised solemnly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He is to be trained," Qui-Gon replied, a statement more than a question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The big ears cocked forward, and the lids to those sleepy eyes widened. "So sure of what has been decided, you are? "</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon held his gaze and maintained his silence, waiting for the council member to speak first. Yoda studied him carefully. "A brave warrior, was Obi-Wan Kenobi," he gargled softly, his strange voice sad. "But so much more he could have been, if not so fast he had run. More slowly, this next student must proceed, Qui-Gon."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon felt relief, the boy would be trained, he knew it.  But Yoda shook his head. "Be not so quick to assume. Not everything, is understanding. Not all at once, is it revealed. Years, it takes, to become a Jedi Knight. Years more, to become one with the Force. The time the boy has lost may never be regained.."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He moved over to a place where the fading light shone in through a window, soft and golden. Sunset approached, the appointed time for their farewell to Obi-Wan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yoda's gaze was distant when he spoke. "Decided, the Council is," he confirmed. "Trained, the boy shall be."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon felt a surge of relief and joy flood through him, and a grateful smile escaped him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yoda saw the smile. "Pleased, you are? So certain this is right?" The wrinkled face tightened. "Clouded, this boy's future remains, Qui-Gon. A mistake to train him, it is."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But the Council-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes, decided." The sleepy eyes lifted. "Disagree with that decision, I must."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a long silence as the two faced each other, listening to the sounds of the funeral preparations taking place outside. Qui-Gon did not know what to say. Clearly the Council had decided against the advice of Yoda. This was not unprecedented, and nobody understood that better than Qui-Gon. That the Jedi Master chose to make a point of it here emphasized the extent of his concerns about Anakin Skywalker.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon spoke decidedly. "I will take this boy as my Padawan. I will train him in the best way I can. And in time, you will come to see in him what I see. The Force is decided on this, we are merely the stewards."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yoda studied him a moment, "You presume much, the Force may be decided on the boy, yes. This, the council agrees with you. Your place, Qui-Gon, not as certain as you believe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon’s eyes opened large, and he looked at the diminutive master in astonishment. “What do you mean? There is not anyone else who can train this boy. The certainty of his destiny that I possess is the greatest assurance we have that he will be trained in the manner that will best prepare him for the battles to come.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps,” Yoda replied, never one to argue, “ but too soon, it is. A Master who loses an Apprentice must take time to reflect, careful with their next assignment, the Council always is. Many great teachers in our order, there are. One in particular, may benefit from the boy, as much as he will from her.” Yoda paused, knowing Qui-Gon would be too stubborn to ask, but affording him the opportunity nonetheless. “Yula Braylon, his master will be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon said nothing. He had always respected Master Braylon, and never partook in the criticism of her when others engaged in it, surely there was nothing that could be said of her, that couldn’t also be said of him. Yoda nodded to him, his way of signaling that this conversation was over, and turned to exit the chamber. Understanding it was time, Qui-Gon followed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The funeral pyre was lit, the fire building steadily around the body of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the flames slowly beginning to envelop and consume him. Those who had been chosen to honor him encircled the pyre. Queen Amidala stood with her handmaidens, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Governor Sio Bibble, Captain Panaka, and an honor guard of one hundred Naboo soldiers. Boss Nass, Jar Jar Binks, and twenty Gungan warriors stood across from them. Linking them together were the members of the Jedi Council, including Yoda and Mace Windu. Another clutch of Padawan, those who had known Obi-Wan longest and best, completed the circle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin Skywalker stood with Yula Braylon, his young face intense as he fought to hold back his tears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A long, sustained drum roll traced the passage of the flames as they reduced Obi-Wan to spirit and ash. When the fire had taken him away, a flight of snowy doves was released into a crimson sunset. The birds rose in a flutter of wings and a splash of pale brilliance, winging swiftly away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon found himself remembering, thinking back on the last seven years, and all the adventures they had shared together. The love and pain he watched the boy feel on Mandalore, and all the difficulties the two of them overcame on Pijal. Everything that had gone before was behind a door that had closed on him forever. It was hard to accept, and at the same time, it gave him an odd sense of release.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked over at Anakin. The boy was staring at the ashes of the funeral bier, crying softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked over and put his hand on one slim shoulder. "He is one with the Force, Anakin. You must let him go."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy shook his head. "I miss him."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Qui-Gon nodded. "I miss him, too. And I will remember him always. But he is gone."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anakin wiped the tears from his face. "What will happen to me now?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The hand tightened on the boy's shoulder. "Master Braylon here will train you." Qui-Gon Kenobi said softly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I am your new Master, Anakin. You will study with me, and you will become a Jedi Knight, I promise you." Yula Braylon said, lovingly. “And Qui-Gon Jinn will continue to be a part of your life, there is much you can learn from both of us. She looked up at him and smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy straightened, a barely perceptible act. Qui-Gon nodded and smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Across the way, Mace Windu stood with Yoda, his strong dark face contemplative as he watched Qui-Gon put his hand on Anakin Skywalker's shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"One life ends and a new one begins in the Jedi order," he murmured, almost to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yoda hunched forward, leaning on his gnarled staff, and shook his head. "Not so sure of this one as of Obi-Wan, do I feel. Troubled, he is. Wrapped in shadows and difficult choices."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mace Windu nodded. He knew Yoda's feelings on the matter, but the Council had made its decision. "Yula will do a good job with him," he said, shifting the subject. "Qui-Gon was right. The boy is too powerful to be left in the care of anyone but the Jedi. It is not a coincidence that the Sith chose to reveal themself at the same time this boy appears "</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yoda's sleepy eyes blinked. "Always two there are. No more, no less. A master and an apprentice."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mace Windu nodded. "Then which one was destroyed, do you think - the master or the apprentice?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They looked at each other now, but neither could provide an answer to the question.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Credit to Terry Brooks, whose novelization of Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace was used as a framing device, with much of his words and spirit maintained in the re-telling.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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